THIKA SCHOOL OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES

Department of Business and Information Technology

COMPUTER APPLICATION

UNIT PARTICULARS
Unit Code: DCU 201
Unit Title: Computer application 1
Unit Duration: Four hours of lecture per week for 12 weeks.
Status: Compulsory
Unit Email Address: Unit Webpage: Prerequisite:
NIL

UNIT TRAINER:

Mr. Charles Warui

Dept. of Business and Information Technology
Thika School of Medical and Health Sciences, Thika, Kenya.
Phone: +254720516181
Email: [email protected]

UNIT DESCRIPTION
This module unit is designed to equip the trainee with knowledge, skills and attitudes that will enable
him/her with appreciating computer application.

UNIT OBJECTIVES
At the end of this Unit the student is expected to:
a) understand the basic concept of computer application
b) appreciate and use word processing application software
c) use spreadsheet application software
d) use database application software
e) appreciate and use desktop publishing
f) appreciate the application of internet and e-mail facilities
g) appreciate and use presentation application software

UNIT LEARNING OUTCOMES / COMPETENCIES

Upon successful completion of this Unit, the student will be able to:
(Knowledge based)
• understand the basic concept of computer application
• Able to utilize the various computer application softwares.
1
 THIKA SCHOOL OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES
Department of Business and Information Technology

GRADING SYSTEM FOR THE UNIT

This Unit will be graded as follows:
Continuous Assessment Test 20%
Class Assignment 10%
Class Presentation 10%
End Term Examination 60%
TO TOTAL 100%

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
Attendance:Class attendance is mandatory. There are no “excused” absences for any reason including sickness or
student activities. Any student who misses more than 20% of the scheduled classes (including the first week of each
semester) will receive a grade E (failure due to poor attendance) for the unit. The 20% is to allow for sickness, emergencies,
or student activities that could not have been planned for. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that they sign the
attendance register each time. Your signature will be the only evidence of your attendance. Signing the attendance
record on behalf of another person is an offence and will result in disciplinary action
Academic Integrity: Violations of academic integrity, including dishonesty in assignments, examinations, or other
academic performances are prohibited. You are not allowed to make copies of another person’s work and submit it as
your own; that is plagiarism. All cases of academic dishonesty will be reported to the College Management for
appropriate sanctions in accordance with the guidelines for handling students’ misconduct as spelt out in the Students’
rules and regulations.
Assignments and Group Work: Students are expected to submit assignments as scheduled. Failure to submit an
assignment as at when due will earn you zero mark for that assignment.
Code of Conduct in Lecture Rooms and Laboratories: Students should turn off their cell phones during lectures. Food
and drinks are not permitted in the laboratories.

READING LIST
 Integrated Computer Applications, 6th Edition by Susie H. VanHuss University of South Carolina
 Advanced Word Processing, Lessons: Microsoft® Word 2010, 18th Edition by Susie H. VanHuss University of South
Carolina.
 21 Century Computer Skills and Applications, 10th Edition by
Jack P. Hoggatt, Ed. D. | Jon A. Shank, Ed. D. | James R. Smith, Jr., Ed. D.
ISBN-13: 9781111571757 © 2015
 Learning with Computers I , 2nd Edition by H. Albert Napier | Ollie N. Rivers | Jack P. Hoggatt
ISBN-13: 9780538450706 © 2012

2
 THIKA SCHOOL OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES
Department of Business and Information Technology

Books Available in the College Library

 Ms windows user guide by Laser.

 Lotus1-2-3 release 3.1 by WYSIWYG
 Concepts of information Technology

ASSIGNMENT
1. Identify the emerging trends and ways of coping with the emerging trends in ICT
[10marks]

UNIT OUTLINE

LES TOPIC LEARNING

WEEK OUTCOMES COMMENT
S
ACTIVITY

WEEK 1 Less INTRODUCTION TO This is meant to Lecture

COMPUTER APPLI- introduce the
CATION student to the
various
• meaning types of computer
• describe types of software applications
• state application areas software and
their Covered

application areas

WEEK 1 Less INTRODUCTION This is meant to Lecture

TO OPERATING introduce the
SYSTEM ENVIRON- student to the
MENT meaning of
operating
• characteristics of OS • system, the Covered
• launching and closing OS characteristics of
• manipulation keyboard Operating
and System and
mouse • ways of
• feature of graphical and • launching and closing
character use interface OS,
3
 THIKA SCHOOL OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES
Department of Business and Information Technology

• identify basic computer manipulating key

information board and
•
mouse

WEEK 2 Less WORD PROCESSING This is meant to Covered

Starting word processor introduce the student
• Editing and formatting a to Starting word Practicals
document processor i.e ways of
• opening and editing editing and
• text manipulation formatting a
• formatting tools document,
• creating and formatting a opening and editing
table Text,
• calculations in tables • formatting tools
• charts creation
•
• mail merge
•

TABLE OF CON- This is meant to Practicals

TENT, LIST OF FIG- introduce the
URES AND PRINT- student on how
ING to generate
tables of
• styles and templates • content, Covered
WEEK2 Less • graphics generating list of
• graphical effects figures and
• print previews

WEEK3 MACROS EMERG- This is meant to

ING TRENDS • introduce the
student on how Practicals
• generating tables of to print macros
content and
Less • generating list of figures emerging trends
• print previews •

WEEK 3 INTRODUCTION This is meant to Practicals

AND STARTING • introduce the
Less SPREADSHEET AP- • student on how

4
 THIKA SCHOOL OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES
Department of Business and Information Technology

WEEK 4 Less FUNCTIONS, CAL- This is meant to Practicals

CULATIONS AND introduce the
SPREAD SHEET student to
TOOLS functions and
• functions • how to
• linking spreadsheets link spreadsheets and
• tools the various
• help • tools

WEEK 4 Less CHARTS AND This is meant to

PRINTING introduce the Practicals
EMERGING TRENDS student to
• charts charts and how
• printing of worksheet and • to the
charts printing of worksheet
• emerging trends • and
Charts and
understand the
emerging trends in
• spreadsheets

WEEK 5 Less INTRODUCTION TO This is meant to Practicals

DATABASES introduce the
• definition student to
• uses of databases databases and
• advantages the uses of
• types of databases databases,
• database creation • their
Advantages and the
types of
• databases

WEEK 5 Less TABLES • This is meant to Practicals

• data types introduce the
• types of keys student to data
• table of keys types,
• table creation types of keys, table
5
 THIKA SCHOOL OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES
Department of Business and Information Technology

• entering data of keys,

• editing tables table creation,
entering data
• and editing
tables
•

WEEK 6 Less RELATIONSHIPS This is meant to Practicals

• types of relations introduce the
• linking tables student to the
• sorting and filtering types of
relations, how
• to

• link tables and do

• sorting and filtering

Less FORMS This is meant to Practicals

• creating forms introduce the
• entering data in forms student to
• editing and formatting creating forms
entering data
in forms and
editing and
formatting
• forms.
WEEK 6

WEEK 7 Less QUERIES & REPORTS This is meant to let

• importance the student to Practicals
• creating queries understand the
• listing and formatting importance of
queries creating queries,
• calculated field listing and formatting
• queries

6
 THIKA SCHOOL OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES
Department of Business and Information Technology

WEEK 7 Less EMERGING TRENDS This is meant to let Practicals

IN DATABASE AP- the student be
PLICATION able to identify
• identifying emerging the emerging
trends trends and
• copying with trends ways of coping
• with trends

WEEK8 STUDENTS SIT

Less FOR THE
CATS • CATS

WEEK 8 Less EDITING, FORMAT- This is meant to

TING AND TRANS- • introduce the
FORMATION OF student to spell Practicals
SHAPES • checking a
• spell checking a document document,
• editing • perform
• creating multi-page Editing,
document create multi-page
• creating and modifying docu-
frames ment,
• creating and enhancing creating and
drawings modifying
• aligning ,resizing, coping Frames,
and pasting objects creating and
• adding and assigning enhancing
objects drawings
to layers aligning ,resizing,
coping
• and pasting objects

7
 THIKA SCHOOL OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES
Department of Business and Information Technology

Less IMPORTING AND This is meant to Practicals

EXPORTING FILES introduce the
AND DOCUMENTS student to
importing files
• importing files and • and documents
WEEK 9 documents
• exporting files and
documents
• merging file and graphs •

WEEK 9 Less PRESENTATION AP This is meant to Practicals

PLICATION. introduce the
STARTING student to
• opening and closing opening and
presentation closing
• screen layout presentation,
• opening and closing an screen layout,
existing document opening and
closing an
existing
• document

WEEK 10 Less CREATING PRES- This is meant to Practicals

ENTATIONS AND introduce the
SLIDES student to
• create presentation and create
slides presentation
• change slide layout, add and slide s,
and remove a slide change slide
• change the order of slides layout, add
in a presentation • and remove a slide
• save presentation and
slides
•

8
 THIKA SCHOOL OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES
Department of Business and Information Technology

WEEK10 Less CREATING TEM- This is meant to

SLIDE SHOW AND • introduce the
PRINTING student to Practicals
• definition • using templates,
• using template creating your own
• creating your own master master
slide template slide template
• colour schemes •

• color schemes

WEEK 11 Less INTERNET AND E-

MAIL APPLICATION This is meant to Practicals
EMERGING TRENDS introduce the
IN INTERNET student to
• definition concepts,
• concepts
• historical background historical background
• uses and importance
• opening an e-mail account uses and importance
• sending and receiving
mails opening an e-mail
• managing e-mail messages account,
• surfing the internet
sending and receiving
mails,
managing e-mail
messages

surfing the internet

WEEK12 Less Practicals

•
This is meant to
introduce the
student to the
EMERGING TRENDS emerging
IN COMPUTER trends in
APPLICATION computer
application
9
 THIKA SCHOOL OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES
Department of Business and Information Technology

WEEK END TERM

13 and 14 EXAMINATIONS

10